Do Mine Eyes Deceive Me...A Gorgeous Sadistic Vampire?

I thought I was ready. I'd truly believed that I would be able to walk into this fancy-ass Banquet Hall with my head held high and confidence oozing from each and every one of my pores.

So far, things weren't going according to plan. I was wearing a dress so tight I could barely breath except for the slit on one side that I was definitely not comfortable with, and the halter neck was kind of choking me. It was red, just as Devlin had promised.

"I can't do this, Devlin. I thought I was prepared, but I don't think I'm strong enough. How can I just walk in there and face the man who killed my family and pretend to be his wife, knowing that I'm aching to hurt him so badly?" I asked frantically. What kind of masochistic mind could ever be ready for something like that?

My arm was linked through Devlin's and we were waiting just on the outside of the double door of the grand entrance to my own party. Yes, of course, now is just the perfect time for me to break down, right?

"Shh, Joan. Listen to me," he whispered in my ear, brushing an elaborate curl away from my face and holding my cheek in one hand. "Everything will be fine. Things with Harrison will turn out better than you could imagine."

I looked into his face as he said this and noticed a very odd look covering his expression. He sensed the direction of my thoughts and reformed his face. "Just go in there and bring the house down," he smiled before kissing my forehead.

I nodded. "Okay, let's go." I took a step forward, and his arm released mine.

"I, uh, will meet you . . . in there," he said slowly, scratching the back of his head.

"I can't do this alone!" I panicked.

"Sure you can, Joan. I have faith in you," he walked over to me one last time before I would have to face everything by myself.

"'Bye," he whispered.

"By-" I began. His lips cut me off.

It was sweet, gentle, and brief. For the first time since I'd left my home, I felt like I was safe . . . like nothing could go wrong.

Then he was gone. I opened my eyes, lips still pursed, only to find that he had vanished. I shrugged it off. I would see him in there.

And so I opened the doors.

Complete silence. I was met by a deafening soundless nothingness. Well, for a few seconds at least.

I'd never seen so many . . . beings in my life except at the Annual Immortal Banquet. They all stood immediately. Every perfect face looked up at me. Some faces were filled with awe. Others with disgust. Some with contempt. Most of the faces were filled with joy. They were joyed at seeing me. Why was that?

Then there was clinking. An overwhelming and tumultuous clinking of silverware against glasses enveloped me. I forgot that Devlin had mentioned that Immortals had peculiar ways of greeting the hosts/guests of honor at formal events.

I just smiled and tried to remember my mentor's instructions. He'd said for me to just go down the staircase, and the rest would be done for me. It didn't sound too complicated, right? Wrong. The staircase had at least seventy steps, and I was wearing very thin, four-inch, open-toed, strappy heels. Not the best for steps.

I looked around at the expectant expressions on all of the perfection. I noticed Vladimir and Rosalinda giving me potent looks of anxiety and "subtly" motioning toward the stairs.

With a deep, steady breath, I began walking down the steps at a steady pace. It wasn't too slow, but it was very careful, and I tried to make it look the least amount awkward as possible, but that was difficult to do.

Silence was restored as I walked 'gracefully' down the elegant staircase, keeping a firm grip on the banister at all times. For the first time, I noticed how heavy my head felt. With all the intricacy of the locks piled on top of my head, I feared looking like a poodle, but Devlin hadn't seemed to think so.

Finally, I made it to the bottom. I had reached the dance floor. This was where *gulp*Harrison he was supposed to meet me.

I walked to the middle of the floor and twirled very slowly in a circle in hopes of locating my, ahem, husband.

"May I have this dance?"

He was behind me. My hands clenched into fists, and I did a 180 so I would face him for the first time in so many days.

I resented that his voice, even after all he did to me, still made my knees unsteady.

My breath caught, and he had to place his hands on my waist to prevent me from collapsing completely. I cursed my weakness, but knew there was no way around it. He looked flawless.

The time period we spent apart just emphasized his devastating beauty. His black lustrous hair was arranged into carefully masculine waves for as short as it was. He wore a white suit with a red dress-shirt and black tie. The color contrast was dazzling. Then, I noticed his eyes. They weren't a ruby-crimson anymore. They were violet.

"I don't have a choice," I breathed out evenly, having regained some of my composure. He and I were the only ones dancing, as was tradition, and I felt the thousands of sharp eyes following our every move.

Since Devlin had taught me how to dance, and my knees no longer threatened collapse, I was able to keep up with most of his steps.

"How have you been?" he asked stiffly, flashing a small smile that made me have to concentrate that much harder on the dance steps.

"Learning," I answered shortly. "We need to cut the small talk. I know about my family."

A blush came to my cheeks as I was embarrassed by my blunt delivery.

His expression changed to one of pity and that made me even more furious. How dare he pity the one whose family he murdered!

"I'm so sorry, Joanalie. I wanted to tell you earlier, but I was on probation and they wouldn't let me have communication with anybody," he pleaded. I was confused but still had to catch my breath before I interrogated him. Pleading was a weak spot of mine.

"Probation?" I asked. What was all this about?

"Didn't Devlin explain it to you?" a hint of venom entered his voice when he mentioned my mentor's name.

"He told me you were on a sort of vacation . . . that you had to get away for a while. I don't understand. Probation for what?" I asked. What was he going on about. Devlin had told me specifically the reason for his absence.

"Vacation?" he hissed incredulously. "I was stranded in a godforsaken jungle where I would be burned if I'd tried to escape! They had to punish me for what I did to Malachai Bakker. Remember?"

I hadn't known Immortals could even be on probation. Why would Devlin lie about that. Or why would Harrison?

"But Devlin said . . . well, I told you what he said. But how does that explain what you did to my family?!" I demanded, keeping my voice low so as to not arouse suspicion from our guests. The whole time we were having the debacle, our expressions remained light and amiable.

"What I did to your family? Joanalie, what has Devlin been telling you? It was all over the news that your family had to withdraw the search for you. You've been reported dead back in the U.S." Harrison explained, looking a mixture of worried and furious.

"He said you killed my family, Harrison," I croaked, resenting again how good his name felt coming from my lips. "I don't know who to believe. You left me without any explanation after you broke my jaw. I wasn't mad, but you leaving . . . well, it hurt to finally know the truth."

"Killed your family?!" he growl-whispered. "And you believed him? I thought you knew me at least a little better than that!"

"My family is still alive?" I asked for clarification.

"Of course," he breathed, releasing some of his anger. "I've been having friends of mine watch over them, actually. Don't worry, they're carnivores, not cannibals."

"Oh," I sighed, and finally realized what all of this meant. Devlin had been lying to me about almost everything. I had trusted him. I had kissed him out of vulnerability when he'd told me about my family.

"And I fell for it. I was ready to fight you, Harrison. I wanted revenge. I was so ignorant and I just can't believe how far he would go just to get what he wants," I confessed, feeling utterly pathetic.

"That bastard!" he snarled in a low voice. I felt his arms shaking. One was held in my hand, the other at the small of my back. Both equally trembling.

"We're going to get people wondering," I reminded him, trying to soothe him.

I should be more focused on other things right now, really. Like how I'd practically had sex with the man who betrayed me. How I'd been making out with a lying pig for more than a week. How I'd so easily trusted such an immoral person. I owed Harrison such an apology for thinking so poorly of him. I owed it to him right now to calm him down. I shouldn't be worrying what the Immortal Community thought of me, though.

"You don't understand, Joanalie. This is all my fault. I entrusted you to him as your mentor. I left you in his care! The reason you believed all of those things about me is by no fault except that of my own," he whispered hurriedly, looking desperately like he needed to release some frustration.

"Don't do that!" I reprimanded. "I was the one who fell for it. I believed him. I kissed h-" I froze. "Up to him . . . I kissed up to him, thinking he was the only one who I could really trust."

I looked into his violet eyes once again. He was silent and my stumble hadn't gotten passed him. He knew what I was going to say.

"All's fair in love and war," he smiled sadly, and my heart shattered for him. He did care. He blamed himself for me kissing Devlin. He wasn't upset with me at all; he was just sad - which was almost worse.

"I never fell for him," I said, for both of our benefits. "I was only drawn in by what he pretended to be." But I still cared about him.

I decided to leave that last sentence out. It could be my little secret. It was certainly dirty. How horrible could I be to still care about the devil, himself.

He'd just been there for me. And Harrison hadn't.

Then, his head perked up. The first song had ended, but it hadn't been over yet. I was familiar with it. Something was wrong.

Then, a figure appeared at the top of the staircase. It was a male centaur.

Harrison put his back to me and I was mostly hidden behind him now except for the slight trail of my dress. I almost teared up. After all this time, he cared about me. And I wasted my time on Devlin.

"Devlin Calhoun's remains have just been found outside this building!" the man announced. "It is unknown at the time how the burning was initiated. I'm sorry to disturb you all, but I need to see a Miss Joan Rivers?"

I was frozen by Harrison's newly-violet gaze. He didn't know what to do.

And that scared me most of all.